The Light, the Dark, and the Grey
by MisterCorduroy
Summary: Following the death of Darth Sidious and the fall of the Dark Side by hand of the Skywalkers, Luke Skywalker leads the New Republic to peace and to its prime, but when omens of the Dark Side's return to power arise, Jedi must be gathered to smother the evil at hand, though not without complications. Join Kairo Fronz, Hak-N-Far, Salryyhn, Nala, and Luke himself on this adventure.
1. Prologue

PROLOGUE

In ages of the New Republic and in dormancy of the Dark Side, Luke grows hoary in his advancing age. Still, he remains a fearsome Jedi, respected by all of the Light Side and feared by those who should challenge the peace he since has established. 'My councIl,' he said, his voice fitting his age. 'Kairo,' he went on, and so turned to the Corellian Human by name Kairo Fronz, he of light brown skin, and a short gallimaufry of hair. Kairo, a kage just as was Luke, smirked and gave a nod of acknowledgment. 'Salryyhn,' Luke continued in locking his gaze with that of the Kashyyyk Wookiee, Salryyhn, who bore fur white as lightning and full black lips. 'Nala,' Luke went on with reference to the Togruta of Shili, of black, green, and maroon skin as well as chatoyant eyes and a stern look across her face. 'Last but certainly not least among you, Hak-N-Far,' Luke concluded, and the Ugnaught of Gentes gave a snort and a smile. 'Master Luke,' the council responded all in unison. 'You all are gathered here in light of recent tidings, of which I am sure you all have heard,' Luke went on, hardly able to help donning a worried and slightly woebegone expression. 'Indeed, Master Luke,' Hak-N-Far grunted, 'the Terentatek attack on the unnamed planet of the Outer Rim Territories.' Luke sighed and his blue eyes gleamed a weary glow, 'Yes, Hak, that is correct. I'm going to suppose we all know what this means, the rise of this Terentatek, I mean.' All of the council nodded. 'Yes,' Kairo averred, 'I believe this is the symbol of the Dark Side's…well…the Dark Side's return if not a concentration of the Dark Side where this Terentatek of which we speak has arisen.' With that, Salryyhn grimaced in misunderstanding. 'I know not of this Terentatek, explain this beast?' he asked in the best English he could muster, rolling roughly from his tongue and resounding off his bulbous cheeks. 'Ah, perhaps you know it by another name in your native language, Salryyhn, it is an ancient monster of poisonous tusks, and claws, and of gargantuan proportions, born unto the Dark Side and feasting upon those favored most by the Force, especially Jedi like ourselves.' Salryyhn nodded in understanding and shortly after gave a growl that tumbled off his tongue and a short deep hiss. 'That is just as it is called in Thykaraan.'

'Mighty good reason for our coming together, but what of the official Jedi Council?' inquired Nala. At that, Luke gave a sigh and looked at his hands upon the tabletop in sorrow. 'It is great shame that most of them died in facing the very Terentatek of which we speak now.' Gasps were given then, and condolences, but Luke waved his hand and shook his head. 'Nay, we should not grieve for them, they are one with the Force more than ever they were before, and I would congratulate my comrades for that.' Kairo shook his head slowly, his lips pursed. 'Indeed, I knew the now-fallen Corran Horn, as we both grew from the planet Corellia, I would liked to have spoken with him but once more,' Kairo said, 'but no matter,' he said, not in coldness but in acceptance, 'what of this Terentatek, what is to be done of it?' Luke grimaced and tilted his head. 'I would have us vote on a means of approach, we are a republic after all,' Luke declared, and the Jedi before him nodded, some among them just realizing that they may have just become the new High Jedi Council. 'Vote on it?' Hak, asked protestingly, 'what must be done is clear, we muster troops and we slay this beast,' Luke let slip a sharp breath. 'I am afraid it is not that simple, my good Jedi, Hak-N-Far,' Luke said, in contemplating the danger of the Terentatek. Kairo nodded, resting his chin upon his clasped hands. 'No, it isn't,' he said, 'I would have this beast live,' he went on, and Luke gave Kairo a curious look, as did Salryyhn, while Nala glared at Kairo in disagreement and Hak merely snorted, his expression of what seemed to be anger never changing, as was the nature of his face. 'You would allow this abomination life, and what for, it has slain good men and women and would do the same till the end of its days, plus it symbolizes a thriving of the Dark Side?' Nala argued, rising from her seat. Luke opened his mouth as to tell Nala to calm herself, but Kairo spoke before Luke could. 'I am a Grey Jedi, as all you here ought know, and as such I am not so Lightsome as you Jedi of the New Republic, I am a Guardian of the Balance, and the Balance requires that there be a Dark Side just as much as the Light. These yester years of the Dark Side's dormancy have been years without Balance, and this is our chance to restore the Balance.' Nala sneered and scoffed. 'You would defend the Dark Side, you would dare play devil's advocate in this situation?' she said, nearly yelling. 'The Terentatek must fall by our sabers, as must the coming evil it symbolizes. What should happen if we allow the Dark Side a chance at power, another attempt at purge?' Salryyhn furrowed his brows. 'Do not be preposterous, Nala, the Dark Side has no chance at power so great any time soon, the New Republic thrives.'

'Aye,' said Nala in response, 'but do the Jedi. Luke has lost his High Council to this beast the Terentatek already, and who next to defend the Light Side but us, and then very little I would suppose.' Hak snorted. 'You all forget yourselves at chance of vote, is this not up to the master in our presence, Luke?' he said suggestively. 'Well you forget your memory, Hak-N-Far, for Luke gave the matter to vote.'

'Then you all, give your official votes,' Luke demanded, getting his word in at last. 'I would have us, as Hak suggested, muster a battalion and slay first the beast, and in succession, whatever plight of the Dark Side that it symbolizes,' Nala said, somewhat as in voting, but also in protesting against Kairo, who in turn said, 'I would have us let this matter be, allow Balance to return to the universe, this Terentatek has slain innocents indeed, but it is for purpose, I believe.' Hak shook his head, and so his loose hanging cheeks slapped about his tusks. 'Buncombe, the monster must be set to death as with any other monster of murder, and the Dark Side must be smothered.' There was a stretch of silence for a short while, in which ulterior communication proceeded between Kairo, Nala and Hak in glares, leading them to forget that more votes were to be cast until Luke brought it to their attention. 'Salryyhn, what of your opinion?' Salryyhn frowned and gave a sigh, contemplating just what he would cast as vote. 'Well,' he said, his words still rolling and resounding, 'I agree with Kairo.' Hak gasped and Nala glared hard at Salryyhn with her arms crossed, as still she stood. 'I believe in his ways of keeping the Balance,' Salryyhn went on, and Kairo smiled, giving Salryyhn a nod and gleam of his eye, but then he realized the stalemate to which the Council had come. Luke would cast the deciding vote, and it seemed that everyone became fully cognizant of this in unison, and so turned to Luke, hoping for whatever served their opinions best. Luke sighed. 'I am sorry, Kairo, but I am no Grey Jedi, I am a Jedi of the New Republic and as such it is my duty to smother the Dark Side, _that _is my keeping of balance. I would have us muster Jedi and kill the beast.' Kairo was silent in acquiescence, and Salryyhn was understanding and content, having been teetering on his opinions anyway. 'As for what Darkness to which the Terentatek acts as harbinger, we will deal with that when we come to it,' Luke continued, and sounds of acknowledgment and understanding were given from the Council. Nala wore a toothy grin, proud and triumphant. Kairo passed her a glare, already he did not like her and he had just met her. He knew that she would be a challenge against his patience and self-control. _Challenge accepted, _he thought to himself.


	2. Chapter 1: Proper Introductions

Chapter One: Proper Introductions…

The five of them marched together through a rounded passage more so of glass then the metallic though marmoreal structures that kept it in place. Luke led the band, his mind weighty with thoughts of the plight he and his people were in. Salryyhn was just behind him, his lightning-white fur gleaming by sunlight, and despite his being such a large beast, he kept an elegant gait. As a wookiee, he was calm, content, and would have been fearful had he not so much faith in Master Luke. Still, he thought back to the vote he cast, and remained adhere to that opinion, but now he would be leaving for the planet Moltok at the next sunrise to slay the Terentatek and extinguish the Dark Side. Perhaps this was for the best, perhaps he had been out of sorts, and perhaps both he and Kairo were wrong, but Kairo was such a wise young kage, a paladin of the Jedi, "hero among heroes, monster of monsters," as those who knew his deeds as Guardian of the Balance called him. Kairo, meanwhile, still struggled in holding the rear of the gang to accept the situation at hand, and he, more than Salryyhn, adhered to the beliefs of the Grey Jedi as one among them. He rested his chin upon his bent arm and thought as he walked, the cloven and weather-beaten tails of his belted robes flowing behind him. He did not belong to the New Republic, he was a maverick ally of the Force, and he thought that he could very well go alone, but he shook his head of these thoughts. He would not dare oppose the New Republic, especially not Luke, his friend, and he would not deliberately protect the Dark Side. _I suppose I have no choice, _he thought, _I am allied with the New Republic on this mission_. He gave a sigh and continued walking at the rear of what supposedly was the Jedi Council banded anew. Just ahead of him, the irritatingly smug Nala, Togruta of Shili, was wearing a smirk of triumph still with her arms clasped behind her back. Kairo had always appreciated the tenacity of the Togruta species, and the delicacies of their home planet Shili were unparalleled, though he did not have much care for Nala, nor for the pugnacious pig-creature Hak-N-Far of the barbaric Ugnaught species, but he would be meeting Lightsome tasks alongside them nonetheless, shoulder to shoulder as Luke would have it. Kairo looked then to Salryyhn, the affable wookiee, and showed a smile across his face. He wished to give the white-furred wookiee thanks for having supported him in the council. It would have to wait. 'Master Luke,' Nala suddenly broke out, interrupting the thought of the entire council. 'I should not hope to press, but where will I be staying in my time here before this coming morning, when we fly out?' she asked, and Luke nodded. 'Ah yes, I understand you are based on the planet Shili, that's why I prepared rooms for all of you, courtesy of the New Republic for it's own Jedi no less, and so on.'

'Where are the rooms?' Nala inquired further. 'Oh, just west of here, you'll sleep well, don't worry, but for now we're off to gather the troops before tomorrow.' At that, Kairo noticed the look across Nala's face of only more questions arising, and she took a breath to speak and raised her finger. 'Will we have soldiers beyond alliance of the Force, Master Luke, or solely Jedi?' she said, and Master Luke grimaced. 'We will not risk the lives of men and women favored less by the Force, Nala, no matter their bravery. Already, a good deal of Jedi have died by the hands of the Terentatek, and more injured, with the natives of Moltok falling also to the beast's claws. We have good enough Jedi to handle the beast without barbaric blasters and the like.' Nala nodded, and finally her lips closed and she looked straight ahead in walking without a word. It was not long before the Council came to the glass passage's end, whereupon Luke turned and all his company came to attention before him. 'I have business to attend to concerning tomorrow's endeavor that holds no necessity for any of you,' Luke said, and everybody nodded, 'I trust you each have business of your own to attend to, but if not, here are each your keys,' Luke said, giving a weary, flickering smile to everyone as he passed them each small, round, glowing devices, presumably keys to the apartments of the numbers written upon them. Kairo looked at the apparatus clasped within his cloth-wound hand and donned a look of puzzlement. 'Did these apartments belong to the Jedi before us, of the High Council, I mean?' he asked, having read upon the key the name Kyle Katarn, who had been a part of the previous High Council. Luke's head hung and his eyes turned to the ground, he gave a sigh and before the splintering beams of sunlight, refracted weakly through the windows of many shapes across the walls, he seemed majestic but world-weary, and though he faced sadness in absence of his lost brethren with great strength, he could not deny his swelling misery. 'Yes, young Kairo, your apartments belonged previously to the Jedi of the Council before you,' Luke finally answered, 'you will all be staying at the Jedi Condominium.' Kairo regretted having asked such a stupid question, especially as Luke walked away, his strides wide and powerful. Kairo looked back to the rest of the Council and found that Nala was shaking her head, and in a sigh her shoulders lowered. Kairo was surprised to see what seemed to be compassion and empathy in her eyes rather than smoldering resolution. In catching Kairo's stare, Nala whipped her head toward him and their glares locked. In truth, Kairo was taken by surprise in her quick and aggressive manner of movement, and was briefly frightened, though did not show it. She gave a scoff and turned, walking away down yet another hall toward the Jedi Condominium, or so Kairo assumed. He gave a sigh and his chest and shoulders rose and fell with his breaths. Hak-N-Far followed behind Nala, and Kairo pondered the relations between them, beyond a shared opinion, had they each adopted some form of cahoots or the like, or was Hak simply a foolish follower. Salryyhn stayed behind a short while longer, and Kairo looked to him, some of his extended strands of fur catching the sunlight and shinning thusly like wavering silver rods. 'I wanted to thank you, Salryyhn,' Kairo said, and Salryyhn, having been keeping his gaze to Nala and Hak as they walked away, turned to Kairo. 'Huh,' Salryyhn grunted curiously. 'For what,' he asked, his voice caught in an awkward space between roars and speech in what Kairo assumed was gentle for a wookiee in talking. 'Well, now that I think about it, I suppose you did a little less than I thought, but you held well against popular vote back their.' Kairo felt everything spilling out of his mouth precarious, but he couldn't do much about he was saying. 'Thank you, anyway,' he said, trying to seem kept together. Salryyhn wore a stern look, his brows furrowed together and his yellow and black eyes focused, the whiskery hairs over his lip twitching. 'I do not mean to offend you, but I did nothing for you, I was following what I believed was right, at least at the time,' Salryyhn said, 'my fealty is to the Force and that alone, you can consider me a "New Republic Jedi" if you please, but I do not follow Luke blindly, despite my faith in him.' In further speaking, Salryyhn began to find his aplomb and opinion once more, and smiled and nodded. 'I still disagree with him in fact,' Salryyhn said, and Kairo nodded. 'Luke is an old friend of mine, and I know he is wise, and more powerful than you and me put together, but I would not have things this way. I hate for my being a Grey Jedi to clash with him or the New Republic for that matter, but I would not go against him of all things.' For a moment, Kairo looked down at the ground, his hands clasped behind his back as he danced over deep thought. He contemplated just where his own loyalties lay most, but only for a moment before returning to conversation with Salryyhn, yet still troubled. 'It's even worse still with that Nala as company, and what seems to be her toadyish follower, Hak,' Kairo continued, and at that was surprised to hear short laughter from Salryyhn. The wookiee leaned back and held his rising and falling stomach with his clawed hands, laughing raucously and heartily. 'Luke tells me that before your summons you were in meditation, on what, the planet Dromund Fels,'

Kairo nodded, 'yes,' he said, 'for six years, mind you.'

Salryyhn gave another deep, tumbling chuckle and rested his clawed hand upon Kairo's shoulder. 'Well, my fellow Jedi, I think you've been gone meditating a bit too long, that's too much time to be caught in your own thoughts, you have built no tolerance for the likes of Nala and Hak, they are nearly nothing.' Kairo grimaced at Salryyhn, looking up beyond frowning brows and holding his mouth to the side of his face. 'What say you to a good drink?' Salryyhn asked, and Kairo was surprised. _A drink?_ he thought. _Alcohol_, he continued in thought to himself, assuring himself of precisely what Salryyhn meant. _Doesn't seem very Jedi-like. _'Huh, it'd do you good after all your time gone,' Salryyhn went on, and Kairo took in a deep breath, appreciating the kindness of Salryyhn, who he could easily accept as a future friend, and a splendid acquaintance at the moment. 'Well, I'm not one for beer or anything like that, but what's the harm honeymead could do, right?' Kairo said, and Salryyhn smiled wide, showing his large teeth and stretching his lips, black and seeming like those of a feline. 'Good. I'll have you know it's not often that I drink, but I'm open to making companions over a good bit of fire-water.' Kairo smiled and nodded. 'Good to know,' Kairo said, 'wouldn't like a drunk by my side in the heat of battle.' With that, both Salryyhn and Kairo turned and took to the hallway down which Nala and Hak had previously gone, headed for a bar as far as Kairo knew, though he had little knowledge of the workings of this city, or the planet for that matter, having been gone six years and having only visited a few times before his meditation. 'So,' Kairo said, as they came to a part of the hallway much like the passage they had taken previously, rounded and of glass, 'what do you know of this Terentatek beast, I heard you speak its name in Thykaraan?' Kairo went on, and Salryyhn nodded and gave a sigh from his black, button nose. 'Aye, the beast,' he growled its name, 'in fact belonged to my planet millennia ago, prowling the Lower Shadowlands, as some would call it. It was ferocious, and I never dealt with it personally, but the bards of my people told of its avarice, and of its "immunity to the Force." They thought it king of all bane to the shadows, and a species acting as nemesis to allies of the Force. It grew like fungus from nothing, and thrived in hordes below civilization, but it was a plague mostly of the Great Purge, and of other times in which the Dark Side was in power. Now that I think about it, the Terentatek has only ever brought chaos in times such as the Clone Wars or the Purge, when the Dark Side is nearing triumph, or has already taken it.' At that, Kairo found himself somewhat frightened, speaking of the beast like this, and contemplating the possibility of things like the Great Purge and Clone Wars coming again, but in due time, he shook his head of these thoughts, reminding himself of their ludicrous nature. He was a Guardian of the Balance, no such things would happen under his watch, or watch of the New Republic for that matter. Balance would be kept no matter what. 'You think everything will be alright, Salryyhn, I mean these Terentatek haven't been around for decades, and these omens of the Dark have me challenging my faith?' Salryyhn gave a rolling sigh, like the beaten breath of a bagpipe, and shook his head. 'I trust plight is near, I trust Darkness comes, but I trust the power of the Light more.' Kairo smiled and nodded. 'Of course, of course,' he said, and Salryyhn gave Kairo a slap on the back, waking Kairo abruptly from his partial state of daydreaming. 'C'mon, Kairo,' Salryyhn said as he came to a door, pressing it open and so entering the streets of the city. People upon foot sped by, walking every which way across the street, and above, hovercrafts zoomed, belonging to greens, yellows, blacks, blues, and oranges, giving off whirs and sputters like soaring metal monsters. Kairo wasn't really much for flight, as it boggled his insides, and in coming to the open city, looked askance against the sunlight at the crafts speeding in the sky. 'Well, where to, Salryyhn?' he said, stepping across the threshold of the door and standing akimbo. 'Oh, just to a little inn a good ways from here, not too far from the condominiums, it's all I know of as a watering hole, you might say, I haven't much a knowledge for places to purchase ale and such.' Kairo nodded, and realized that the people passing were giving him glances. For a moment he was puzzled, but then realized that these were denizens of the this particular Republican state, and he had not been here for six years, and yet was obviously a Jedi, as evidenced by the saber at his waist and his flowing raiment. He was sure that these people knew every Jedi by name and so on, and here he was a newcoming ally of the Force. He gave a quick wave to the general passersby and took a wide step forward, wearing a simper. Salryyhn led him across several winding ways and tall buildings, and briefly they lost their way, but in due time, they came, with the sun reaching its zenith, to what was seen to be The Bonnie's Inn. It was just near where the city turned to a bucolic stretch, and Kairo did not much like the sense of things, so far from the prettier part of the city. 'Don't worry, Kairo, these parts aren't so bad as you think,' Salryyhn assured Kairo, noticing the worried look upon Kairo's face in his appraising his surroundings. 'Alright,' Kairo said, 'I'm trusting you that we won't get into any trouble, Salryyhn,' Kairo continued, passing Salryyhn a glance. Salryyhn smiled wide. 'Don't worry,' he said again, and with that, they walked up to the inn and Salryyhn shoved the doors open wide, extending one of his firm, furry arms and allowing for Kairo to take a look inside the inn for a short while. Sunlight filled the barroom through the windows to the left, and Kairo found the place rather strangely well occupied at such an hour, though in further examination found everyone to be obvious drunks or mysterious wanderers, most likely staying at the inn in their passing through. At the center of the barroom, surrounded by high-set stools, was a round, enclosed counter where what Kairo assumed was the boniface (innkeeper) stood as a bearded man in his latter years, handing out drinks and watching the bar with quick gazes. Tintinnabulation sounded with further opening of the door as Kairo walked across the threshold, his hands at his sides and his garment flowing behind him. Salryyhn entered just behind him, and with the sounding of the bell at the door, everyone at the bar, including the boniface, trained their attention, if not briefly, upon Kairo and Salryyhn. 'Sal!' the boniface sounded, reaching his arms outward and smiling passed the forest of black hair across his face. Salryyhn, or Sal as the innkeeper called him, wore a smile just as did the keeper, and Kairo watched as the wookiee, after roaring something in another language, lumbered up and pat the boniface on the shoulder, the innkeeper doing just the same to Salryyhn, who was, as Kairo was just noticing, nearly too tall to fit in the barroom. 'Oh it's good to see you, Sal, why don't I get you a drink, huh, on the house, or on the inn for that matter.' The innkeeper laughed at his own joke and Kairo approached the round counter, taking a stool as his own and clearing his throat, sitting up straight and looking all across the room with fleeting glances. He had never been to a place of ale before, and all he had ever heard about bars was to do with violence and trouble like that, and after having meditated in silence and seclusion upon Dromund Fels for so long, this was hardly the sort of thing he had been up to, nor would he have anticipated such a venture as this. 'Um, who's your friend, eh, Sal?' The boniface said, looking to Kairo, and Kairo looked back at the rather average man, of a deep raspy voice and somewhat kempt hair. 'Oh, introductions,' Salryyhn said, and turned to Kairo, 'Kairo,' he growled, 'meet Wallace, he owns the inn, and, well, Wallace, meet Kairo Fronz, Jedi hailing from Corellia, been off meditating on the Dromund Fels for the last six years.' Wallace the Innkeeper frowned in curiosity as he looked Kairo up and down. 'Another Jedi, eh, and from Corellia,' the man said, and in a moment, Kairo thought to himself how fitting the man's name was, Wallace, as he looked a good deal like a dressed up and bearded walrus. 'Good meeting you, Kairo,' Wallace said, and Kairo didn't much like how his own name fit into Wallace's idiolect. Wallace extended a hand as for shaking, and Kairo reached out, though loath to do so, and gave Wallace a firm and quick tug on the hand with his own. Wallace retracted his hand, laughing as if nervous. 'Hell of a shaker, that Kairo,' he said, and again he spoke Kairo's name in strange tones. 'Drinks on the house for each of you, eh,' Wallace said, and Salryyhn smiled still. 'Thanks, Wally, my friend here'll just have honeymead, he's not much for drinking.'

'Well, neither are you as I've come to know,' Wallace the Innkeeper laughed, and Salryyhn shrugged. 'I'll take same as him, Wally, we're just talking over drinks is all,' Salryyhn said, and Wallace nodded. 'Need your wits to talk right,' he said as he slammed two pints of honeyemead on the countertop in front of Kairo and Salryyhn. Kairo took up his mug of mead and looked at it for a moment with Salryyhn watching him, quaffing at the same time and wetting the hair around his lips. 'I suppose all you've had is water these last six years, so this has got to be new to you, huh?' Salryyhn said, and Kairo scoffed, looking to the wookiee beside him. 'Yeah, I've only drunk water the past six years, and the other twenty-four of my life for that matter, if you don't count breastmilk of course.' Salryyhn laughed for a short while, but then looked at Kairo ponderingly. 'You're thirty?' he asked, and Kairo looked unaffectedly to Salryyhn, shrugging and nodding. 'Yes, and?' he said, and Salryyhn shrugged and grimaced. 'Well, it's just that I don't meet much Jedi of such prowess at your age.' Kairo smiled and bowed his head. 'I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you. I became a Jedi when I was sixteen, the Force is, as they say, strong with me.' Salryyhn nodded and puckered his bottom lip, turning his head. 'What were you doing before all this, Salryyhn?' Kairo asked, finally taking a sip of honeymead, which proved sweet, though with an aftertaste like warm copper. Salryyhn turned back to Kairo and processed the question. 'I don't mean to pry, I'm just curious is all,' Kairo added, and Salryyhn nodded quickly and briefly. 'No, no, it's fine,' he said in turn. 'I was attending to the business of the Republic, big business.' Kairo donned a puzzled look, furrowing his brows as his interest formed for this business of which Salryyhn spoke. 'It was all a matter to do with a bounty hunter,' Salryyhn continued, 'Kru-Kang as I came to know him, some Jedi assassin to rival the greats before him, Boba and what have you.' Kairo had never heard such a name before, Kru-Kang, though he knew a good deal about Boba Fett. Other than that, his knowledge concerning the bounty hunter folk came to very little if not nothing. He knew that there was some beyond alliance of the force, such as Boba, Cad Bane, and apparently this Kru-Kang, that indeed could challenge adepts of the Force without fear and succeed. They worked at high price, at least Kairo assumed as much, and they were dangerous denizens of the shadow, not to be crossed or dealt with. Kairo was lucky not to have been made a target after all his deeds done against what some might call evil. 'Kru was a horrible individual, responsible for the death of dozens of good Jedi, and my mission had a lot of weight to it, but what we're up to now, with this Terentatek, means more than catching Kru and the mastermind behind the bounty hunter.' Kairo recognized the gleam of slight obsession in Salryyhn's eyes, and remained silent, simply watching the wookiee. 'No matter,' Salryyhn said after a waning stretch of silence. 'He'll be good and gone after all this is over,' he chuckled, and Kairo nodded, trying to smile but failing. 'I have a feeling that won't be soon,' he said, and Salryyhn looked up at Kairo, his brow furrowed but his eyes still wide, a frown across his lips. 'I fear you're right,' he said, and there was taciturn shared between them for a long while after that, and their drinking together became fruitless as it seemed, but Kairo knew that there was something more to do with Salryyhn and this bounty hunter, Kru, and he could not help his interest in the matter. Still, there was a big day to be had tomorrow, the hunt for the Terentatek, and with that in mind, Kairo and Salryyhn did not stay at Bonnie's Inn long, though still, pursuit of slumber proved difficult within their apartments that night, as they tossed and turned in confusion…

Kairo woke with the sun, stirring in pandiculation beneath the quilt lain over him. For a moment, he did not know who he was, where he was, and what was going on, and was an empty consciousness for a short while. He smiled in this state, but soon, a spate of recollection came and he frowned. He was on the large round bed of purple wood, once belonging to Kyle Katarn as did the entire apartment, which discomfit Kairo in dreaming and in waking. Today was the day that he, as a Jedi, would hunt the Terentatek upon the planet Moltok, and confront the Darkness, and in remembering that, Kairo sighed and held his head in his hands before turning to look out through the glass wall. The city was only just stirring, and only few hovercrafts whizzed by here and there. He threw the covers from over himself and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, checking the bedside clock, blinking **6:24 **in green. It was not long at all before Kairo had donned his diurnal raiment, the very same as yesterday, and his saber had never left his side all that night, even in sleep. He washed his face to force himself from hypnopompic sloth, and soon after that heard a knock at the door. It was the Council no doubt, or some messenger with tidings of the coming departure for Moltok. 'I'm coming,' Kairo called, and in hearing his own raspy voice, he cleared his throat and beat his chest on the way to the door. The apartment was all silvery and winding, full of corridors and extra rooms, but Kairo found the door with ease, opening it only to find Nala standing there, dressed in a brown jerkin and blue pants with a baldric slung around her trunk, carrying her saber by her hip. She sneered at Kairo, and Kairo simply looked back at her, both heeding Salryyhn's words from yesterday and being too tired to give Nala a sneer in turn. 'It's time,' she said, 'hurry up,' and Kairo nodded. 'I'm already ready,' he said, pulling his large black belt higher up and sniffling as he walked out of the apartment into the hallway and closed the door, taking care to lock it with a swipe of the glowing key, though he doubted anyone would try to break into a Jedi apartment. _Except Kru, I guess, _he thought to himself, and followed Nala back down the short hallway and to a flight of spiraling stairs that led to several different doors and platforms, but as Kairo knew, he and Nala were bound for the New Republic Starship Hangar. From behind her, on their way down the stairs, Kairo looked at Nala ponderingly. He would fight alongside her today, with her as a fellow Jedi, and yet he clashed with her so. Any grudge against her was of no good purpose, nor would his being annoyed by her do much, so he thought to try and befriend her, or at least even things out between her and himself. 'So,' he said, attempting to initiate conversation as he continued down the stairs. Nala turned her head and her lekku whipped with her movement. 'Yes,' she said, and Kairo was ready to give up any extension of courtesy then and there, but decided against it. 'What were you up to before all this?' he asked, and he could tell that Nala was a bit taken with Kairo's being nice, 'the mission, I mean,' Kairo continued. Nala nodded and gave a sigh. 'I don't see how it's much of _your _business,' she said at first, turning to Kairo as he kept pace with her, 'but I was on Shili, my homeplanet as I'm sure you know.' As Nala spoke to Kairo, and conversation seemed to kindle, Kairo turned away briefly to give a smirk, proud of his kindness and its accomplishments. 'I was seeing my family is all, no Jedi business, you could call it a vacation, but I don't think the term fits so well. When I was called for duty, I could not deny the New Republic, I had to leave.' Nala looked down for a moment, and Kairo noticed a flash of sadness, or perhaps regret or confusion, he could not tell on account of its fleeting and flickering nature. 'Never mind that,' she said, 'we have tasks to be met, posthaste,' she said, looking up again and wearing the same tough look as before. She leapt across the flight of stairs, leaving Kairo in her wake, though in due time he met with her again at a door to the side of the staircase. 'The Starship Hangar,' he whispered to himself as he sauntered passed the doorway, leaving it to close on its own behind him as he marveled at all the magnificent spacecrafts before him, whether they whirred and whoomed in landing or boomed in blastoff. The hangar, having to hold so many large ships, was huge and consisted of metal as far as Kairo could see, and without much more purpose than to hold large crafts, it was a simple place. As Kairo walked on, soon finding the weak heat and brilliance of the morning sunlight coming through the open sides of the hangar, he found Nala joining the others of the council. He took and expelled a deep breath as he looked at her, finding that still she would prove challenging, but he could not take her that way, she was no problem to be tolerated. She seemed to be speaking with a pilot, his status evidenced by his garb, and Kairo assumed that he would be piloting the ship that would take them to Moltok. Hak was rather obviously tired and yawned, shaking his face and slapping his loose cheeks around. Hak was a whole other matter, as Kairo, for the moment, felt that the little Ugnaught probably didn't much mind him and that if he should do the same in turn, their relationship would be pleasingly static if not nonexistent. 'Kairo,' he heard Salryyhn boom from nearby, 'morning greetings,' he continued, and Kairo nodded and smiled at the wookiee towering over him. 'Morning, Salryyhn,' Kairo responded, passing what could have been a nonchalant salute or a wave of some sort. 'Ugh, the anticipation is killing me,' Salryyhn said, and Kairo nodded, 'indeed, it'd be better to have the business done before long, less time to doubt myself,' Kairo said. He looked over at Salryyhn's waist and found that for the first time, the wookiee was wearing his saber by his belt, the pommel carved of wood and being round with a hole just through the middle. Kairo supposed that one could set their finger through the hole and spin the saber around, even Salryyhn with his large claws, but that would be reckless use of such a weapon. 'D'you know what ship we're taking?' asked Kairo, and Salryyhn nodded with a smirk of pleasure across his face. 'Oh boy, do I,' he said, and held his hand upon Kairo's back, bringing him just forth and pointing to a large and glorious ship of a gaudy gold, a fierce red, and cerulean stripes across its middle. It began with a spherical cockpit with a large windshield, and from that, a large u-shape extended, and Kairo assumed that there was some arrangement of leisure set in that area, but no sleeping chambers, as this trip would take no time at all. With a keen eye, Kairo recognized the atavistic nature of the craft, as in looking it over he found that it relied upon something called "hyper-rotation" for the simulation of stable gravity, and the engine was thermoelectric, so the heat generated by that rotation was all taken in by said engine and used as fuel. 'Neat,' Kairo said after a good long while of examining the ship, Starship Myxamoto as it was called. 'Strange,' Kairo went on, thinking of the name, 'and old,' he spoke still, thinking of the workings of the engine and gravity-simulator, 'but neat.' Salryyhn gave a nod. 'It's nothing special, just enough to get us to Moltok, no more and no less.' Hak waddled up, his own saber by his side, and threw open the large sliding door at the inner end of the u-shape, revealing a curved room lined with several silvery seats, and with compartments at the ceiling for storage as it seemed. There were windows at the other end of the craft, and Hak hopped into the ship and sat just by one of such windows, claiming his seat no doubt. Kairo and Salryyhn leapt in after him, and not long after that, Nala came, and more Jedi still beyond the High Council, or so Kairo assumed, as he had never heard word of their acceptance into the council, still, he recognized the faces of some in his company, like Gno Koon and Rin Fisto, but other than that, these Jedi remained nameless to him. Across the entire u-shape, twelve seats were filled, and with that, Kairo watched as the pilot leapt up, wearing a long, split-tailed cloak that opened wide at the front, showing his white tunic and brown leather pants as well as his worn black shoes. Behind him, he closed the door to the u-shape and Kairo looked confused. 'Isn't Master Luke coming,' Kairo asked, leaning over to look just at the pilot as he sat in the spherical cockpit. The pilot turned back in his swiveling chair and shook his head. 'He's deemed himself currently unfit for the operation, but he thinks you twelve can handle it without him, with Koon as leader.' Kairo nodded in understanding, but was still rather confused, wondering at Luke's reasoning for being unfit. He was a fine Jedi, perhaps even great enough to slay the Terentatek all on his own. _This must pertain to the recently lost Jedi,_ Kairo thought, thinking both of the notorious Kru-Kang and those who fell under the Terentatek. Just then, Kairo felt the nudge of Salryyhn's furry elbow upon his shoulder and looked over to his right, just as the Spacecraft Myxamoto began takeoff. Kairo, as he turned, open his mouth to ask what was the matter, but Salryyhn pulled out his apartment key first and showed it to Kairo, almost acting deliberately indifferent and looking elsewhere, though glancing at Kairo to see his reaction. Kairo read the name "Mara Jade" upon the key, and though it took him a while to process just what Salryyhn was suggesting, he did eventually gasp and hold his hand to his mouth. _Mara died by the Terentatek's hand, _he realized, _Luke's fiance, _he continued, coming to denouement. _If he were to embark upon this operation with us, it would be only for revenge, and Luke has come close enough to the Dark Side, that would only be his final fall_. Kairo looked to Salryyhn and nodded in understanding, leaving Salryyhn to quietly put the key back into a pouch upon his belt and continue sitting peacefully while Kairo himself sat in his own seat, sighing at how much more meaning this mission now had. The Terentatek must die!


	3. Chapter 2: The Terentatek

Chapter Two: The Terentatek

The Starship Myxamoto flew at a steady pace high above the surface of the planet Moltok, just at the edge of the atmosphere, though with keen eyes, the Jedi could clearly see the rainforests below. Kairo had heard a good deal about the planet Moltok from Salryyhn during the flight, as apparently, Salryyhn had been here on business before. The planet belonged to the Ho'Din and Makurth, the former being a towering, lissome, pale and intellectual race, the latter being a hostile, unintelligent, gibbous sort of folk of dark skin. The Ho'Din lived within the rainforest over which the Starship Myxamoto currently flew, while the Makurth inhabited the more volcanic area empty of trees and the camba-fruit and wuppa. 'There's not much use searching the rainforests, pilot,' Salryyhn yelled as he opened the curved ring's door and leaned out, gazing down on the planet, 'the Terentatek, as I've come to know it, keeps to the dark and to the heat, so we will most likely find it in the volcanic regions, perhaps in a cave near there, isn't that where the other's were attacked?'

'I know, we're on our way there now; it won't be long, this is a small planet, besides, we aren't looking for the Terentatek as much as it's looking for us,' the pilot responded without turning his head. Kairo recalled the nature of the beast, a predator born of Darkness, and as such, able to sense the propinquity of prey allied with the Force. Of course, just as the pilot promised, it was not long before Myxamoto came to the volcanic stretch beyond the rainforests, where, as Kairo saw it from less a distance than before, the ground consisted mainly of uneven, burnt black rock, from which volcanoes extended here and there, dormant for the time being, though some of which yielded obsidian. Still, rivers of lava ran, and Kairo could not deny his fear of this place as a place for battle, nor could the area's ominous and theatrical qualities be ignored. 'Alright,' Gno Koon said, looking down sternly, and Kairo wondered just how much everybody else knew about this mission, 'Surprise is what took the previous Council,' he continued, and shot glances to Nala, Kairo, Salryyhn, Hak, Rin Fisto, and a few others Kairo couldn't recognize. 'That means we can't hurry into this, we'll have to-' Gno's sentence was interrupted just there, as an adjacent roar shattered the atmosphere. Kairo's eyes widened and his jaw dropped in making way for a gasp as fear swelled within him, the roar proceeding still, stirring even the rainforests and shaking all the world as it seemed. _The Terentatek!_ Kairo thought, and continued thinking in a string of worried swears. He recognized the pure rage in the beast's bellow, and immediately stood, confused and unable to decipher what he ought do next, but he took in deep breaths and calmed himself, putting his tremulous state of bewilderment and fear to an end nearly instantaneously. He could not quite tell where the roar was coming from, especially after it came to an end, having sounded like the friction of a cinderblock against rough pavement, or like a warped, inhumanly deep warble. 'Nobody panic,' Gno said, 'that was clearly the Terentatek we're after, this is good he said,' and everybody stood at attention. Kairo looked around and saw that even Nala was on edge, though concealing it as best as she could, her hand on her saber with her eyes darting about, looking down at Moltok in search for the beast. Her montrals still rung in echoing the last of the Terentatek's call, and she held them to stop the quick shaking. Salryyhn already had his saber taken from his belt, and he gave a single rippling bellow of his own, more like the squeak of a mouse in comparison to the noise the Terentatek had given. 'I'll go down there first,' Gno said, looking all around the craft as everyone calmed themselves and readied for battle at the same time. The pilot was most scared of all, and Kairo recognized him as one without alliance of the Force. With that, Kairo felt sorry for the pilot, but he reckoned he knew just what he was getting into beforehand. Gno crouched at the edge of Myxamoto, leaning out of the window now and ready to dive for the surface of the planet, which now was not any more than forty feet from the ground. 'No need to reposition the craft, pilot, this distance will do,' Gno said, turning to the pilot and speaking muffled through his mouthpiece. 'After me, you all can come as you please,' Gno said, and in Gno's saying this, Kairo could not help but think of not jumping at all. Suddenly, Kairo felt a disturbance, as if it were a warning of Darkness in approach, and his eyes bulged. He could not rid himself of the feeling of inescapable danger. His hair stood upon end, his ears stressed, his spine tingled, and a pang disturbed his mind. He heard the whistle of wind over the hum of engines and looked to the right, leaning just out of the ship to find a large blurry, black shape speeding for him and the craft. He could not hold his tongue, and swore at sight of what was indubitably the Terentatek, having miraculously leapt for the Starship Myxamoto. 'JUMP!' he yelled, and did just as he commanded, but it was hardly soon enough, and as he dove from the ship, so did the Terentatek, growling as he did it, beat the ship with one of his claws, going along at what must have been eighty miles per hour. Kairo spun in his descent, and the ship behind him burst into explosive flames as the Terentatek passed it, landing elsewhere of course and giving what seemed to be a laugh of triumph. Several Jedi jumped after Kairo, just as the ship blew somewhat to barely aerodynamic bits, but Kairo had no sense of identification in all this quick mess. As he fell, his face flattened by the force of velocity, he took his lightsaber from his waist and engaged it just as he turned around, finding his axis and landing roughly upon the surface of Moltok, stumbling and nearly falling. He stood upon the land of black rock surrounding the dormant volcanoes scattered here and there, and he only just managed to stand the heat with a river of lava nearby. Regaining his wit, he watched as Myxamoto struggled to keep aloft, or so it seemed, and saw also as Jedi landed left and right, surviving the dive (or fall) only in aid of the Force. Salryyhn landed somewhat on his large, padded feet, but then fell over and tumbled twice on his back. Having found footing, he engaged his saber, which was of a blade that glowed green just as did Kairo's own, though Nala's was blue, as was Hak's and everybody else's, giving off an electric hum like a mechanical woodpecker in flight. There was the thud of the Terentatek landing nearby and Kairo occupied a stance of battle, waiting for the monster's attack and watching as pebbles upon the ground jumped in the shaking of the ground with each footfall of the Terentatek. 'Here it comes, everybody!' Gno called out, 'get ready,' he continued, holding his lightsaber in a varied stance of readiness, it's blue light cast across his cheek. 'So, what's the attack strategy?' one of the Jedi asked, and Koon turned back to face him as well as the others. 'A plan?' he said, as if in asking, 'kill the beast, everybody give it all you've got,' he said, and Kairo was surprised to hear a Koon present this as an attack strategy for such an important mission. _I suppose he didn't inherit Plo's wisdom in battle, _Kairo thought. There was only a moment after that before the creature, adversary to the eleven Jedi gathered (one was missing), came from behind the curved wall of a volcano, towering over all at what Kairo suspected was thirteen feet. It heaved horrendous, slightly wheezing breaths, its lower jaw extended further than its upper one, with tusks stretching from its cheeks and chin, and its eyes seeming a dirty, enraged red with black slits through them. It's hide was black, but white fur sprouted in tufts here and there, almost randomly, and from its six, thick fingers extended talons stained and caked with blood, dirt, and other juices. It smelled of petrichor and rotted corpses and lumbered about, stamping as if with an effort to give effect to the earth. From its forehead, several purple-black integumentary extensions spread, overlapping over one another and ending in sharp, bloodied points like thick, widespread horns. Constantly, it shook a growl from the chambers of its stomach, whispering the wambles through its arched lips, its eyes set to glare. The Jedi sacrificed little time to marvel at the monster, and Gno was the first to take charge, giving not a sound but his pitter-pattering footfalls. He swung at the monster with his saber and his fellow Jedi, including Kairo, joined him speedily, until there were several blurs of bodies and multicolored sabers leaping, sliding, running, falling, flying, and striking all around the creature, which struck with speed greater than one might have expected in consideration of its size. The beast and Jedi gave each other equally good game in combat, with the Terentatek swinging, clawing, roaring, and charging, but even in throwing a Jedi away, they would only return to battle, unyielding and but one of a combative Lightsome super-organism. Kairo himself was quick, perhaps more so than any other, and did not stay to his blade, but kicked and punched at the monster's eyes, speeding by at what seemed to be inhuman velocity, zipping with the saber at the monster's limbs and trunk like an entity purely of speed and precision. With each fall of the saber, a blow was given equally as much from the Terentatek, and so equippolence was had, but it seemed that no strike was quite good enough on either end. Kairo had no time to be nervous or even afraid, as his brain had but one thought, and that was to attack with all that he could give, just as Gno had said. The Terentatek fought against the Jedi like one might swat several flies, but as soon as he caught a Jedi, he would show no mercy, throwing them, slamming them against the ground, or even ripping one of the Jedi in half, while sticking another upon his purple-black horns. Eventually, more and more Jedi fell to the Terentatek's wrath and did not return, and once, Kairo thought he saw a flash of lightning come from the monster's extended hand and expel Hak, slowest of all, but Kairo was moving too fast for anything but his target to be a blur. Still, in the hand's return, and in Kairo's striking the arm, he saw that someone had lopped off one of the monster's fingers. Hak had fallen, electrified, as had nearly all the others, poisoned by tusk or claw of the beast if not simply having been shoved against a rock or even the ground, leaving only Kairo, Salryyhn, Gno, and two others, one of which being a surprisingly adroit Gungan, and the other being a large, muscular, furry Whiphid that heaved breaths in his movements but managed, in keeping his distance, to survive and land a hit every so often. Kairo began to feel that his efforts were all to waste, for the monster had weakened, but not by much, and many men had been lost. After what must have been roughly fifteen minutes of intense battle, the monster leapt high into the sky, roaring all the while, and the remaining Jedi followed him, leaping right on its tail and beating at its legs. Kairo hung onto the soaring Terentatek and slashed madly at it with his saber, plunging his weapon once into its back before leaping away and landing on his feet, bathed in dark green blood. The Terentatek fell with a thud on the ground and growled, irritated and in pain, and slowly found its footing. Just as it erected its posture, Gno jumped first from the side of the nearby volcano wall, then somersaulted off the Terentatek's chest, which remarkably caused the beast to tumble back a bit, at which point in time, still in the air, Gno threw his saber speedily into the Terentatek's eye. Blood spewed everywhere, and the nearest Jedi were showered with sizzling green liquid. In the monster's kneeling in pain, holding its hands to its face, Gno seemed to take it as genuflection in success and smiled, panting still and summoning his saber remotely, only causing more bloodshed with frustration of the wound. Kairo, Salryyhn and the two other remaining Jedi drew back to watch the monster bleed and fuss over its wound, tired as they were, but just as Salryyhn charged forth with obvious intentions of ending things, the whistle of the wind sounded loudly and sharply in high pitch, and Kairo looked up, drenched in thick blood and wounded across his right arm and left leg. He saw something descending from the skies, blazing with flame though seen to be of green skin and holding a saber of the same color. Kairo looked back among the fallen, then back to the skies and smiled, it was Rin, the missing Jedi caught in the turmoil of the crashing Myxamoto. He descended quickly from thirty feet up, giving a tongue-whipping battlecry with the flames of the catastrophe from which he leapt following him, and as he landed he sunk his blade into the head of the kneeling Terentatek with a loud thunk and the slight quieting of his own blade buried in thick flesh, and with what must have been the final blow, blood burst outward in thick, widespread explosions of liquid. For a waning moment, everybody's mind was clear, for they had not returned to mental normalcy, and could only stare tiredly and in pain at the sight of Rin Fisto crouching atop the beast, twisting his saber into the Terentatek's head, having come from fifty feet up, and turning the monster into a mere fount of blood and flames. It was an absolutely epic image, Rin yelling and glaring devilishly, as if enjoying the victory with flames whipping and black smoke billowing behind him, a monster the size of a small room beneath him and his blade. Kairo, if it had not been mondegreen, heard Rin give a single deep cackle, still stirring his blade within the fallen adversary's head.


	4. Chapter 3: The Quiet Before the

Chapter Three: The Quiet Before the…

Attempts were had in returning to some form of calm, but for naught, as all that could be felt across the Jedi ranks was pain, fatigue, and a throbbing pulse within their temples, as well as a slight ringing that would not go away for at least twelve more minutes, as Kairo knew from experience with battles of this caliber. Eventually, Rin leapt from atop the Terentatek and spun in the air, landing on his feet just beside Gno, Kairo, Salryyhn, Nala, and one of the two Jedi still standing. All Jedi retracted the humming, glowing blades of their sabers just then, including Rin, who was no longer engulfed in flame, but was wet with both his own blood and that of the slain beast. Gno turned to Rin and gave a muffled sigh through his mouthpiece. 'Oh, Rin, you came in the nick of time, you always did like making a grand entrance,' Gno said, and embraced Rin wearily. Kairo looked back at the fallen Jedi, sprawled across the volcanic ground and struggling to stand. Hak lay burnt beside his saber, which was plunged into the ground, and the Jedi since torn apart was caught in flames beside the running lava, his lower end elsewhere. Five were dead, at least far as Kairo knew, but Hak still grumbled, moaned, tossed and turned. Nala rolled her hand through her lekku, exhaling deeply and shaking her head, her pretty eyes wide. Her chest rose and fell in wide lengths slowly, her full, maroon, black-striped lips moving in accordance. Kairo looked at her, and she looked back at him, too tired to be rude, as was Kairo. 'We all fought well out there,' Gno said, one of his eyes shut with a gash down his face and a scratch on his mouthpiece just beneath, causing sparks of electricity to fly from the damaged area. 'I'm pleased to have had such good men,' Gno turned to Nala, 'and women by my side. It is only worse off that we should have lost some to our foe.' Gno turned back to the fallen soldiers and his brow did something like furrowing, or at least the best he could achieve in his state. Kairo fell over into a sitting position and held his hand to his head, closing his eyes for a moment and sighing. He felt so swelled with energy that in some morbid attempt to rid himself of the adrenaline and teeming vigor, he laughed heartily and fell over on his side. Salryyhn looked down at him, at first confused, but then joined Kairo in laughter, holding his stomach. Gno shook his head, finding the laughter in bad taste, and trotted over to the fallen Jedi, and Rin went shortly after him, as well as the Gungan, who's ears were tied behind his head, and the Whiphid, who's fur was stained with red and green blood, and was burnt in some places. Nala stayed behind and approached the beast, steadying her breaths now slightly. 'Hell of a fight,' she said, ducking down beside the fallen monster, which was in such an awkward position where its face was buried in the ground, as well a bit of its neck and chest, while its arms lay limp by its sides near it folded legs, sprawled and broken by Rin's falling upon him. 'You can say that again,' Kairo said, weary, but managing to make an effort at conversation. He could hardly deny the warmth of triumph; this had not been a pyrrhic endeavor, he would leave Moltok a better Jedi than he had been before, but for a moment, his brow fell over his eyes and he looked to the ground, woebegone. The problem was not at all done with, this Terentatek was no more than harbinger to the true dilemma, and he could feel it, the constant pulsing pang in his mind, like the ubiquity of Darkness, and killing the Terentatek had done very little but draw out the source, bring attention to the Jedi. Kairo wore a simper and rose to his feet, stabilizing slowly and taking deep breaths in the slow healing of his wounds by aid of the Force. _Still, _he thought, _I will need these wounds dressed_. Kairo looked back and pressed his lips into his left cheek, shaking his head and pressing his brow. _We all need a bit of medical attention, especially those poisoned by the Terentatek's tusks and claws._ Kairo moaned and staggered, then looked down at his left leg, gashed open at the thigh. The bleeding had stopped, and he felt no pain previously on some small account to battlemind, and now he only felt a very slight throbbing thanks to his own healing capabilities. Nala looked back over to Kairo, still just beside the monster, balancing with her downwardly extended arm. 'You did well out there,' she said, somewhat squinting at him. Kairo was surprised to hear this, but coughed a chuckle and smiled. 'As did you,' he returned, but more so in being nice than in truth, as he hardly even saw Nala's movements, everything was too fast, and every solid memory left him just as it came. 'I thought you a fool and a coward for what you cast as vote for the matter of the Terentatek, but your vigor evidences where your loyalties lay.' Kairo suddenly became rather serious, as he, done doubting himself, would not have his loyalties be unknown to any other. 'My loyalty belongs to the Balance,' he said, and Nala pursed her lips and gave Kairo a hard look of understanding and listening, 'remember that.' Kairo rarely spoke with such strength and conviction, but he enjoyed the energy that flowed through him on account of it, at least somewhat. 'I can learn to respect you,' Nala said, and walked away, leaving Kairo alone with Salryyhn, and to suppose that she saw worth less in more civil practice than in battle, bravery and the like. 'Hmff,' Salryyhn said as he watched Nala walk away, 'good luck with that.' Kairo coughed a chuckle and grimaced at Salryyhn. Kairo rose and turned his back to the flaming Terentatek, walking with his wookiee companion to meet the others. Rin and Gno were tending to the fallen folk, and Kairo saw Gno ripping his raiment apart in an attempt to dress his men and women's wounds, and though he was rather bad at it, he did the best he could, and he had help from Rin, who drew Hak's saber from the ground and retracted the blue beam of the blade, putting an end to the hum and glow and slinging Hak over his shoulder with care. 'The official first aid kit is back at the ship,' Gno said, having run out of cloth to rip from his clothes, 'which we have to find by the way,' he continued, 'preferably before sundown. We had better hope the communications system isn't broken, and mercy to that poor pilot, may the Force be with him.' Everyone who was conscious verbally chimed with Gno, saying in unison "may the Force be with us all," almost like programmed droids. The trek for the fallen ship began without much delay, and everyone in well enough shape carried those far too wounded, and before leaving the scene of the battle, Kairo took care to shift the lower half of the torn Jedi's body into the lava remotely, thinking it wrong to just leave him there. Kairo was rather tired as it was, and though his wounds were tended to in the best ways possible, he limped, and was weighed down with another soldier on his back. Everybody was encouraged to scout for the ship with the Force, and though Kairo was most sufficient in this trade, it was difficult to reach with his mind across the entire northern end of the planet, and the pilot's presence was minimal. Despite the hardship, eventually, some of the unconscious did awaken, including Hak, and conversation sparked between Kairo and the others, particularly Nala, who was noticeably struggling with courtesy. 'So,' she began, walking beside Kairo, whom she was a good deal taller than, despite his own above-average height, 'what do you think is coming?' she asked, 'what do you think is next?' Kairo and Salryyhn looked at her, wearing an expression of puzzlement, and though they asked what she meant, Kairo inquired still. 'We have slain the Terentatek, yes, but I 'm remembering that that is not all, there is more to come, the monster was a harbinger, and of what, that is the question.' Kairo sighed and shoved his hands into his pocket as he continued walking, careful to avoid the large branches of the tall thick trees as they entered the rainforests. 'Well, when I left for meditation six years back, there was word of some "Imperial Remnant," I recall that Luke had a mind to seek them out and extinguish. Perhaps this is all to do with that; maybe the Empire is finally trying to come back.' Salryyhn held a hand to his furry chin and stared at the ground in walking, thinking hard as it seemed. 'That word of the "Imperial Remnant" persists, Kairo, though not as much as it did six years ago, I believe.' Nala took in a deep breath and nodded, shaking her lekku in the process and looking at Kairo and Salryyhn. 'Where would the Grey stand in a situation like that, an Imperial return?' Nala asked, and Kairo did not know whether he should appreciate her effort at curiosity in the Grey Jedi, or ignore it. 'Grey Jedi are not as organized as the warriors of the New Republic or the Sith, we are scattered across the galaxy, and it is rare that one should meet another, or have a mentor of the same path. I taught myself for a good while, achieved my saber from the New Republic and was apprenticed briefly under Ki Rohn, a Republican Jedi, but to become a Grey Jedi is a whole different matter than to join a side, it's more to get lost in something by choice. If the Empire rose again, the Grey would resist it just as would everybody else, but we wouldn't be organized about it, I would think.' Nala and Salryyhn nodded at that. 'Whatever this is, I'm sure we can all handle it,' Hak suddenly said from nearby, walking with his left hand dressed entirely with bloodied cloth. Everyone turned to Hak as he brought attention to himself in speaking, and Nala smiled. 'Good to have you back, Hak, you were out for a bit,' she said, and Hak laughed and nodded. 'Yeah, that Terentatek gave me a bit of a shock, didn't know it had it in him.' Salryyhn shrugged. 'Neither did any of us, but we forget, the Terentatek was born of Sith alchemy. Speaking of which, how do any of you reckon the thing came about, we never honestly addressed that.' Nala leaned forward to catch gazes with Salryyhn. 'I'd supposed that the monster had avoided the Great Hunt in hibernation, or that it came from the tomb of Naga Sadow, did he not have some guarding his impregnable place of rest.' The others nodded and calmly applauded Nala's idea. 'Well, if this is the Imperial Remnant, perhaps they have concocted a new Terentatek, as the one we fought was abnormally tall, I recall that in reading the records they were nine feet tall an average, the one we fought must have been thirteen,' Hak said, and Kairo was honestly surprised to hear that Hak had even read the "records." 'It could be just as Nala said, but it has simply grown with strength of the Force, although that'd only be a bit more frightening actually. The Terentatek Mauler, as it is called, came from the strength of the Force at end of the Clone Wars, remember?' Salryyhn opened his mouth and drew a breath to say something in response, but just then, they all heard the call of Gno ahead, beyond a curtain of foliage. 'Come,' he yelled, 'come quick, I've found the ship,' he said. Kairo, relieved, sprinted passed the leaves, branches, and roots of the trees. 'At last,' he said, and could not help but smile widely. The others came close behind him, firstly Rin, and approached the wreckage, the flames of which had been settled. Blood was splattered across the sward, and Kairo's joy left him swiftly, his face loosening and his jaw dropping. 'Don't worry,' Gno said, extending an arm and sprawled fingers as he circled the crashed Myxamoto, 'there's too much blood here it could not have belonged to the pilot,' he said, 'at least not him alone,' Rin added, 'although this does not seem to belong to any human as was the pilot, most of it as I can see definitely belonged to the local fauna.' Even with those tidings, Kairo felt a condolence for the animals that had died, and even saw a few burnt carcasses across the ground. Still, there was little time for pointless lamenting, and with that, Kairo joined the rest of the Jedi party in searching around the search, partially for the pilot as well as for the communications system. The ship lay just as it had crashed, leaving a trail of wreckage, blood, and ember, and smoke behind it that was searched just as well as the area closest to the vessels, which being shaped very much like a very large O (or U considering how the ship did not connect at each end), was plummeted into the ground only halfway upon impact, and was stuck sideways, bits of it shot everywhere. It towered over everyone at about fifteen feet from the ground, with more of it still in the ground, and the cockpit was in the ground as well. Of course, Kairo was not hesitant to shift the earth with a wave of his hand and inspect the head of the vessel, which proved worthwhile as he came to know. Just as he leapt down into the tenebrous, spherical cockpit, with shattered glass shot everywhere and bent metal plates in his path, he looked and saw the communications device having slid to the pilot's seat, as the entire ship was tilted. It was slightly covered in dirt and the like which had spilt in upon impact, but Kairo quickly crouched beside it and uncovered it before examining it. 'It's here,' he called out, 'the communications device, I found it,' he added. It was hardly much more than a small, octagonal radio apparatus wired to a slightly larger box-like shape. Kairo heaved it up as he heard the metallic, thumping footfall of the others as they landed in the cockpit along with him and came to see the communications device. 'Here,' Kairo said as Gno approached, and Gno nodded as he reached out and grabbed the box and wired octagon. With that, Gno spoke words into the system that Kairo admittedly didn't understand, and he simply took them as some code to do with the New Republic. Indubitably, Gno was communicating the situation and need for rescue, and Kairo left him to that, but honestly, he still wanted to find the pilot. 'Should we look for the pilot, I don't even know his name?' he first asked Salryyhn, just outside the cockpit. Salryyhn grimaced and shrugged. 'We have a good bit of time before the rescue ship arrives, and I suppose it's the least we can do for _Thomas _the pilot.' Kairo took in a breath and quickly nodded his head and proceeded to search for the pilot, which, somewhat to Kairo's surprise, drew the attention and aid of all the other Jedi who quested for their previous pilot. In searching, Kairo considered the possibility of finding the pilot dead, and cringed at the thought, he doubted the sight of a mangled body would bode well with him, but that hardly deterred him. He threw about great metal plates and beams and even walked across the askew innards of the ship, finding nothing but animals that already had taken the fallen Myxamoto as home. It was not until he leapt to the treetops that he came to a far more complete quietude and solitariness, and at that he did feel more so than he heard or saw, and with senses owed more to the Force than humanity. He could feel Darkness, like he was bathing in it, and it stuck to him, and slowed him, clung to him even, and it was replete with whispers, but he felt more alone with it drowning him, pressing at his mind and prodding at his memories. He soon grew frightened, but tried to contain himself and shut the whispers out, and did so with ease after trepidation was removed, but still he could feel the Darkness, as though it were a great being spanning in near-ubiquity, and it had a heartbeat that kept pace with Kairo's, and it was thriving, it was strong, and it was dangerous. He felt flushed violently through its veins, and whatever projected this ominous print upon the sheet of the universe, like a boot's mark across a beautiful garden, smiled at Kairo from within and acknowledged him as though he were the most entertaining of a good deal of toys, or so Kairo imagined. Kairo heard a call once, but it seemed distant, and only the sliver of his unoccupied mind heard it, but when it came again, and then again, he was snapped from his senses of the Darkness and fetched a gasp, stumbling backward and nearly falling through the surface of the treetops. His eyes were wide and he was out of breath as it seemed, feeling violated to the core of his being, like something had seen more of him than even he ever had, and he turned his head searching for a source, though unable to believe that there could ever be one person so strong with what he knew was the Dark Side as his rationality returned. 'Kairo,' he heard Salryyhn yell at him, and so spun to his feet swiftly, drawing his saber and nearly going so far as to engage the beam, but soon he came to his senses and tried to slow his breaths. 'J-j-just wait there, one moment!' he replied pleadingly, faltering over his own words. He quickly discarded the idea and turned back to where the ship had landed below him and the other Jedi continued searching, now more halfheartedly then before. 'He's here everybody,' Salryyhn called to the others, and Kairo realized for the first time, at least fully, that the hollering wookiee was standing right next to him. He assumed that whatever bewitchment the Darkness had put him under had messed with his senses; bent his perception like one might bend the thin, wriggling blade of a saw, but now all things in his head were slowly returning to normalcy, and to a straightness that he could understand, and the blurred, false doppelgangers beside everything retired to their sources and Kairo rubbed his eyes, still afraid but attempting to contain himself. 'Are you alright, Kairo?' Salryyhn asked, raising a single tussocky brow and seeming worried as he leaned over and held Kairo's shoulder. 'Erm, yeah, Salryyhn, yeah, I'm fine don't worry about me,' Kairo lied, trying not to draw attention to himself as well as to put any suspicion that anybody had to ease, especially Salryyhn. 'Hmf,' Salryyhn grunted, and Kairo knew that Salryyhn could see through his guise of stability, but Kairo also knew that Salryyhn would not make anything of it at this point, he was the sort to respect Kairo's personal business and not to pry, besides, they had indeed "hit it off" but had only known one another for roughly two days. 'Well, hurry up, I've found the pilot,' Salryyhn said, and Kairo nodded, looking up, as Salryyhn was towering, and standing just before the sun seemed to be a dark figure of fur with little features otherwise. 'Is he badly hurt?' Kairo asked, following behind Salryyhn and trying to force his mind to accept the situation with pilot as primary rather than what was admittedly more major, as though he were holding his own writhing, frightened consciousness and plunging it into irrelevant peace. Before Salryyhn could answer Kairo's question, a reply came instead from the Gungan, who Kairo would later learn to be Kuw. 'See fo' you'self,' she said, her long ears tied behind her head as she struggled to lift the pilot from an entanglement of branches, vines, and the parachute, the ties of which were all cut from his being. When finally he was taken entirely from the mess of greenery and knots, with all the Jedi watching after him, a gasp was given from all and hands were held to mouths, but Kairo looked in silence, his lips pursed and his eyes glaring ponderingly. The pilot was moaning and bloodied, only half conscious, and as everybody could now see, each his legs had been severed just below the knee, just as was his right arm missing and there was a hole in his shoulder through which Kairo was sure the beam of a saber had gone. Kairo leapt forth and held the pilot by his nape and the lowest curve of his spine. His eyes were hardly open, and fluttered constantly, but Kairo attempted to communicate, just as he knew the pilot, Thomas, was trying to say something in weakly moving his lips and falteringly lulling his tongue. 'Alert Gno,' Kairo said to his general company, and though one among them started for the clearing of the shipwreck, another was far faster and somewhat stole the task, saying 'on it.' Kairo shook his head and exhaled through his nostrils, biting upon his lower lip. 'I am sure we all know what has happened here, judging by the state of his wounds, right?' Kairo asked, and most of the others gave nods, though those who didn't still knew, but were in no state to acknowledge Kairo as it seemed. 'These-a wounds-a, they-sa hot, hot. This saber-work, no infection, no-sa 'cause a-burnin'' the female Gungan said, and Kairo nodded indeed. He opened his mouth to speak of the presence he felt earlier, but held his tongue and decided just then that he would keep that matter private, as he already wasn't appreciated fully as a Grey Jedi, at least not by most, what with his acceptance of the Dark Side, and Nala would surely turn back against him if she knew that he had felt the Darkness in such a personal way. Kairo didn't want trouble from his comrades, but he knew that whatever had just happened to him meant something, it was a harbinger of evil just as much as the Terentatek if not worse, so he thought that if anyone would accept his tidings without negative effects, it would be Luke. _I will tell Luke, _he thought, _when the time is right_. It was not long before Gno arrived with the Jedi who had alerted him by his side, and with that, Kairo shifted unot another sturdy bough so that Gno could clearly see the pilot. Gno first pressed his lips to his left cheek, but then released his held breath and nodded. 'I've communicated the condition of the pilot, they're coming as fast as they can,' Gno lifted and showed the communications device, 'but I don't think he needs much tending to.' Kairo nodded at Gno. 'These wounds were by work of a lightsaber, no doubt, as you can see, it was cleaned up and sealed by the heat.' Gno acknowledged Kairo and crouched to pick up the pilot, who as Kairo noticed, was beginning to make a little more sense in his pained mumblings, as he believe he caught Thomas saying something to do with "Valo Grimmond." _Sounds like a name_, he thought, _maybe the pilot is meant to give a message about who did this to him, I can't think of any other reason for him being alive. _'We still better keep him well, he'll be up for questioning as soon as we get back to the New Republic, this is bad. Whoever we're up against, or whatever we're up against, the entity that brought about the Terentatek, has a saber and probably knows how to use it. This suggest organization, and the fact that they left the pilot alive means they want us to know they're around…and hostile. Also, it means they're ready to come out and play, so to speak, we should be on our toes about this.' All the Jedi nodded, and sloppily, though somewhat in unison, said "understood," to Gno. _Don't I know it_, Kairo thought, and looked about cautiously, but he couldn't feel the presence anymore, and if he did get jumpy after that, it was from recollection and paranoia. It was not long before the Republic rescue ship arrived on the planet Moltok under a name of numbers and letters that Kairo could not remember, at which time everyone boarded and taciturn was shared between the passengers and rescue team alike. The Jedi knew that a conversation was not to be had without it being awkward and unnecessary, at least not the stoic rescue team with their New Republic symbols, but still, Salryyhn and Kairo chatted sparsely. No words were bandied between Kairo, Hak, and Nala, and Kairo was still rather annoyed by the relationship he held with were, as it was at such a confusing state; he thought it best to let it be just as was Nala. Throughout the entirety of the journey, the wounded pilot Thomas lay sleeping, though fitfully, and the wounded Jedi were tended to quickly, and the deaths were reported to Luke, at least as far as Kairo could tell. Also, Kairo found it strange that Luke had not come to rescue them with the others of the rescue team, as he had suspected that Luke would be eager for detailed tidings of the mission, but Kairo assumed that in not coming, Luke must have been constraining himself overly, working hard at bringing himself back together after what had happened to Mara. Kairo thought for a while about what the death of the Terentatek would mean to Luke, perhaps the impact of whatever storm was brewing would compromise Luke harshly. Kairo was swelling with fear and anticipation for the future, and he did not want to see what would happen if Luke ever became unhinged. Of course, that was all the risk of humanity, which Luke had chosen over the rather strait path of a more atavistic Jedi as detailed in the records of the Old Republic. At one point, Kairo wished that whatever was going to happen would just happen already, as he was going mad in his thinning patience, and in the silence and length of the trip from Moltok and back to Coruscant, or Mon Calamari as Kairo later came to know. 'Why are we headed for Mon Calamari?' he asked one of the New Republic officers, dressed all in white with his visor down, 'yeah, last we saw Luke he was on Coruscant, we are going to meet Luke, right?' Salryyhn added. The officer turned around and for a long while wore a rather displeased and tired look, and Kairo assumed that there was a glare behind his black visor. Before the officer could answer, Gno did from behind Kairo and Salryyhn, saying "Luke retired to Mon Calamari in our absence, he is meditating in the Jedi Temple." Kairo turned back and nodded. 'The temple, huh?' Salryyhn said, and Gno nodded. 'Yeah, I think's it's to do with what happened to...erm…Mara. I mean Mon Calamari is beautiful, and plenty peaceful, great place to just get yourself together I guess.' Salryyhn grunted in acknowledgement and Kairo turned away to the windows, looking out upon the vacuum of space, littered with smiling stars, and with Mon Calamari in the distance, a great blue planet, cloudless as Kairo could see it, and with a layered ring around it that everyone knew as the Mon Calamari Shipyards. Kairo looked over in further into the distance and saw the single sun of Mon Calamari shinning upon the planet, otherwise known as Dac to the natives. _Mon Calamari wasn't so well developed when I left six years ago, what's this Temple Gno's talking about, if I'd known that this place was so beautiful and peaceful I would have come here to meditate, then again, I was looking for something more intense in my practices. But isn't Luke, considering what he's been through? I suppose that as the head of the Republic he can't go straying off soul-searching for six years like I did. _'What's the Jedi Temple?' Kairo finally asked, turning his head to look at the others. 'Oh, that's right, I heard from Luke that you've been gone a while. The Jedi Temple, or just the Temple, was built three years back; it's a monument to the Light, and the Jedi belonging to the New Republic. It's basically everything Force-related to do with the New Republic. While Coruscant is the utmost capital of the Republic, where general business is dealt with, and where from commands are assumed to originate, Mon Calamari is a capital more so in honor of the Force, just as Endor is a place of the people, the commonwealth, and still a capital just as much.' Kairo could not help but smile at this, a whole great temple, and a planet at that, dedicated in utmost honor to his greatest practice and belief. When last he knew the New Republic, there were only three capitals, Coruscant, Endor, and Da Soocha V, a beautiful Da Soocha moon by title the Pinnacle Moon that Kairo personally loved, and upon which he had participated in several speeder races. Kairo soon snapped out of his reminiscing just as the rescue ship came finally to the Shipyard, emblazoned with its own symbols of white and blue, and worked mostly by Mon Calamarians and Qarren, who Kairo enjoyed seeing in peace together considering how he had left them six years back, with the Qarren slaving for the Mon Calamarians. Having landed in the middle ring of the Shipyard, the Jedi, at least those of the High Council, which Kairo now knew included the Gungan and Whiphid, were led onto the surface of the planet, direcly onto the great island, which was busy with movement, but peaceful just as Gno had said, and a relief after the hustle of the tumultuous Shipyard. The skies were just as blue as the seas, and just as calm and clear, though unusual birds flew about belonging to a species that Kairo could recognize. Everything seemed to be in shades of green, blue, red, orange, and white, at least as far as the Jedi Council could see as they were escorted the Jedi Temple, tallest of all the buildings across the island, which seemed rather mechanically advanced to the point where Kairo thought that if he dug into the ground he would find metal workings to match the sheen of the structures above. The windows to the Temple were tinted blue, and across them displays of art and expression of the beauty to the Force were set, whether in effigies of famous Jedi, including the Skywalkers, Solos, Koons, Kenobis, and even Yoda. They were the greatest allies of the Force as recalled by record, and this Temple belonged to them even in death, more so than it belonged to most in face. 'Luke will be waiting for you in the Main Hall,' the Mon Calamarian escort said, hardly moving his lips. Of course, as you might have guessed, this was not a moment that anyone would have guessed for something terrible to happen, even Kairo, who was still on edge from the Dark presence he previously had felt, as his guessing at moments of misfortune had worn him down, and it had stopped long ago until his mind was far too tired for him to be so cautious. Still, the unraveling of events hardly goes by the whim of Kairo's preparation or the expectations of anyone, even Luke and other folk so strong with the Force, so it was by the nature of the world that just then trouble would strike, and without the knowledge of anybody to have prepared for it. Kairo felt it, or at least something of it, but his senses were too slow for his own good, and just as he turned to the skies, from which he felt the Darkness coming again, though in less force, so did thunder crack and a whip of screaming white light stretch from the skies that Kairo had recalled as clear and blue, but were now darkling, not with clouds but seemingly by pure gloom. Faster than anybody could comprehend, the lightning's screech, like the tragedy of a thousand birds under torture, came to an abrupt end as the lightning struck the side of the Temple and an explosion occurred. Flame flew, smoke billowed, and the darkling limbs in the sky rounded and became a simple bubbling black spot, but nobody was paying that much mind in the confusion of screams of panic and fear, what with people bumping into people and things as they ran through the smoke and the Temple creaked, continue to fall over after having been smote. All Jedi within the vicinity engaged their blades, including the hyperventilating Kairo, but then, from the center of the confusion, just where the first floor of the Temple would have been, and where blood was splattered across a tiled floor of carnage, another saber was engaged, and Kairo's eyes widened at the sight of the fierce red blade, not humming but roaring in brilliance and only just bringing light to the figure that held it, he who Kairo supposed had come within that lightning strike, or as it. 'You,' Kairo said, only just able to see the slouching, cloaked figure, and feeling the wavelengths of his Dark core, 'you must be Valo Grimmond,' Kairo continued, and at that, the figure turned, and the red of his loud and long blade, which seemed to be nearly out of control, wildly shooting sparks and becoming noisier still, illuminated his face, which as Kairo saw it belonged to at least a twenty-eight-year-old man. 'No,' he said, almost amused, 'I am not, but you will know my name, as you will know my wrath, AND YOU WILL KNOW MY STORM!'


End file.
